The highly anticipated CAF Champions League final is set to kick off, with South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns just 180 minutes away from securing their second continental trophy. Standing in their way are Moroccan giants AS FAR. The first leg will be played at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa, on Sunday, 17 May, at 16:00, followed by the second leg at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday, 24 May, at 21:00 SA time. Should the aggregate score and away goals be level after regular time in the second leg, the final will be decided by a penalty shootout.

Mamelodi Sundowns' path to the final marks their return to the continental decider after the disappointment of last season's defeat against Pyramids FC in the 2025 final. Their campaign commenced with a victory over Remo Stars in the qualifying rounds. They then navigated a challenging Group C, advancing as runners-up behind Al Hilal, and overcoming MC Alger and Saint-Éloi Lupopo. The knockout stages presented further demanding assignments, as Sundowns edged past Stade Malien 3-2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals before delivering a composed performance to eliminate Tunisian giants Espérance de Tunis 2-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Domestically, Sundowns wrapped up their Betway Premiership campaign as champions with 68 points from 20 wins, eight draws, and two defeats, although they enter the final following a 3-2 away defeat to TS Galaxy in their final league outing.

AS FAR also endured a demanding journey to reach this prestigious final. The Moroccan side began their campaign with aggregate victories over Real de Banjul and Horoya in the qualifying rounds. They then progressed from Group B as runners-up, finishing behind Al Ahly, and ahead of Young Africans and JS Kabylie. In the knockout stages, AS FAR demonstrated their resilience by eliminating Pyramids FC 3-2 on aggregate, and subsequently edging out domestic rivals RS Berkane 2-1 over two legs in the semi-finals. Domestically, AS FAR continues to showcase impressive form, remaining unbeaten after 20 Botola Pro matches, having collected 40 points from 10 victories and 10 draws.

A potentially decisive player for Mamelodi Sundowns is Colombian striker Brayan León. Since his arrival in Pretoria in January, León has quickly established himself as a major attacking threat and one of the team's standout performers. He heads into the final in sensational form, having scored 11 goals in the Betway Premiership and an additional five in the CAF Champions League. His continental contributions have been particularly crucial, as the 25-year-old netted the winning goals in both legs of Sundowns’ semi-final victory over Espérance Sportive de Tunis. León is also motivated by individual honors, with his five goals placing him joint second on the competition's scoring charts, just one goal behind Taddeus Nkeng of Stade Malien and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet of Al Ahly.

Despite their strong momentum, Mamelodi Sundowns' coach Miguel Cardoso has warned against complacency. He stated, “FAR are on the same level as Mamelodi Sundowns. They have developed a very strong team. We respect them. Those who believe the final will be easy for us are completely wrong.” Cardoso is particularly keen to avoid a third consecutive Champions League final heartbreak, having experienced defeats with Esperance in 2024 and with Sundowns against Pyramids FC last season. On the other side, AS FAR, led by Portuguese coach Alexandre Santos, may have arrived quietly but possess a genuine threat. Santos’s team relies on a balanced attack with multiple goal contributors rather than a single prolific striker. Notably, Santos has a history of defeating Sundowns, having masterminded a surprise victory over them while coaching Petro de Luanda in the 2021 CAF Champions League quarter-finals.

The appointment of Jean-Jacques Ndala Ngambo from the Democratic Republic of Congo as the referee for the first leg has caused dissatisfaction among both Mamelodi Sundowns and AS FAR, though calls for a change were rejected by the organizers. Ngambo previously officiated the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where a penalty awarded to Morocco against Senegal led to the Senegal team walking off the pitch. Morocco was later awarded a 3-0 victory by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), with Senegal awaiting the outcome of their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The stakes of the final are high, with the winners set to receive $6 million, while the runners-up will be awarded $4 million. Historically, Al Ahly of Egypt leads the title winners with 12 trophies, followed by TP Mazembe (COD) and Zamalek (EGY) with 5 each, and Esperance (TUN) with 4. Raja Casablanca and Wydad Casablanca (both MAR), Canon Yaounde (CMR), and Hafia (GUI) each boast 3 titles. Entente Setif and JS Kabylie (both ALG), Asante Kotoko (GHÁ), and Enyimba (NGR) have each won the coveted trophy twice.